Google Business Profile: How to Set It Up and Use It

Your Google Business Profile is quite possibly the most valuable free marketing tool available to a local business. It controls how you appear on Google Maps and in the local search results, and for many businesses it drives more calls and visits than the website itself. Yet a surprising number of profiles are half-finished or left to gather dust. This guide walks you through setting one up properly and using it well, step by step.

Step one: create or claim your profile

Start at the Google Business Profile site and search for your business name. There are two possibilities. Either a listing already exists, often created automatically, in which case you claim it, or there is no listing and you create one from scratch. Either way, you will need a Google account and your core business details to hand.

Enter your business name exactly as it appears on your signage and website, choose whether you have a physical location customers visit or you serve them at their address, and add your contact details and website. Take your time here, because accuracy from the start saves headaches later.

Step two: verify

Google needs to confirm you really run the business before it will fully trust your profile. Verification usually happens by postcard to your address, by phone, by email or, increasingly, by a short video. Follow whichever method Google offers you, and do not skip it. An unverified profile has limited features and far less credibility. Verification can take a few days, so start it early.

Step three: choose your categories carefully

Your category tells Google what you do, and it strongly influences which searches you appear for. This is one of the most important settings on the whole profile.

• Pick the single most accurate primary category. Be specific rather than broad.
• Add secondary categories for other genuine services you offer.
• Do not add categories that only loosely apply, as this can confuse Google and dilute your relevance.

If you are unsure, look at how well-ranked competitors in your area have categorised themselves for ideas, then choose what honestly describes your business.

Step four: add photos

Profiles with good photos feel trustworthy and get more engagement. Add a clear logo, a recognisable cover image, and a range of pictures showing your premises, your team and examples of your work. Real photographs beat stock images every time, because they show customers what to actually expect. Make a habit of adding fresh photos regularly, as an active profile looks like a living business.

Step five: get your hours and details right

Nothing frustrates a customer more than turning up to a closed shop that Google said was open. Set your regular opening hours accurately, and remember to add special hours for bank holidays and closures. While you are there, complete every field you can: services, a genuine business description, service areas if you travel to customers, and attributes such as accessibility or payment options. A fully completed profile simply performs better than a sparse one.

Step six: use posts, products and services

A Google Business Profile is not a set-and-forget listing. It has features that let you keep it fresh and give customers reasons to choose you.

• Posts let you share offers, news and updates that appear on your profile. Regular posts show the business is active.
• The products and services sections let you list what you offer, with descriptions and prices where relevant, so customers understand your range before they call.
• Use these sections to answer the questions customers most often ask, so the profile does some of your selling for you.

Step seven: getting and answering reviews

Reviews are central to how customers judge you and how prominently Google features you. The two habits that matter most are asking and replying.

Ask happy customers for a review while their experience is fresh, and make it effortless by sharing your review link directly. Then reply to every review you get. Thank the positive ones, and respond to the critical ones calmly and constructively. Future customers read those replies closely, and a measured response to a complaint can win more trust than the complaint costs you.

A profile that answers every review, good and bad, tells a customer everything they need to know about how you will treat them.

Common mistakes to avoid

Most profiles fail in the same handful of ways. Steer clear of these and you will already be ahead of most local competitors.

• Leaving the profile half-completed, with missing hours, no description and few photos.
• Stuffing your business name with keywords you are not actually called, which breaks Google's rules and risks suspension.
• Letting the address or phone number differ from your website and other listings.
• Ignoring reviews, especially negative ones.
• Setting it up once and never touching it again.

Keep it alive

The businesses that win with Google Business Profile are the ones that treat it as an ongoing channel rather than a one-off task. A few minutes each week to post an update, add a photo, reply to a review and check your details is enough to keep the profile working hard for you.

If you would rather have someone set yours up correctly and keep it in good shape, that is something we do every day. Get in touch and we will make sure your profile is pulling its weight.